Ottomans



Aug. 30, 1960 GLEITSMAN ET AL 2,950,753

OTTOMANS Original Filed June 13, 1956 INVENTORS //am/a file/fame Gar/ Fae/sf AT TO R N E Y5 I it.

United States Patent ice O'ITOMANS Harold Gleitsman, New Rochelle, and Carl Fuerst, Bronx, N.Y., assignors to Gleitsmans, Inc., Long Island City, N.Y., a corporation of New York Original application June 13, 1956, Ser. No. 591,228,

now Patent No. 2,838,097, dated June 10, 1958. Divided and this application Mar. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 722,055

3 Claims. (Cl. 155-169) The present invention relates to Ottomans.

So-called posture chairs, now in wide spread use, are recommended as a health attribute due to the complete relaxation that they provide. However, said posture chairs are relatively expensive, cumbersome, and do not lend themselves readily to the decorative schemes of living rooms or the like.

Another object is the provision of an ottoman or the like, which, when associated with a conventional chair or seat, will convert said chair or seat into a posture chair.

Another object is the provision of a backless seat of the bench type which can function either as an ottoman or for converting a conventional chair into a posture chair.

A further object is the provision of a, combined storage hassock, seat and ottoman which, when associated with a conventional chair or seat, will provide a posture chair.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description considered in connection with'the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best modes presently contemplated of carrying out the invention:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a posture chair or seat formed by the ottoman of the present invention in association with a conventional chair;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an ottoman pursuant to the present invention, with the top thereof being illustrated in open disposition;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale, taken in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 2, with parts broken away for purposes of illustration;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view taken in the direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. 3.

Referring now to Figs. 1 through 5 in detail, there is illustrated an ottoman pursuant to the present invention, which functions both as a storage hassock and as a seat. The ottoman 10 is constituted by a box-like base 12 having the opposing front and rear walls 14 and 16, respectively, and the opposing side walls 18 and 20, respectively, and provided with a bottom wall 22.v The box may be formed of any suitable material and provided, if desired, with a decorative finish or covering. A protective strip 24 is bent over the top peripheral edge of the box 12 and is secured thereto, as by the rivets 26. It will be noted that the front, rear and side walls of the box extend below the base wall 22 to form a peripheral skirt 28 which depends below the wall 22, and that a reinforcing strip 30 is bent over the free peripheral edge of the skirt 28, and is secured thereto as by the rivets 32. Suitable caster assemblies 34 of conventional construction, provided with the casters or rollers 37, are secured, as by rivets 31 to the undersurface of the base wall 22, at the four corners thereof, within the skirt 28. The caster assemblies are also secured, as by rivets 32, to the skirt 28 whereby to support the bottom wall 22 within the box.

Provision is made for a top closure or cover 36 for the 2,95%,353 Patented Aug. 30, 1930 box 12, which is hinged as at 38-38 to the protective strip 24 at the rear wall 16. Any suitable filler material or padding, such as, for example, and not by way of lim itation, foam rubber 39 may be utilized on the cover 36 so as to provide a comfortable seat thereon. A hinged f bracket 40 interconnects the cover 36 and the side wall 13, at the inner surfaces thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 2 so as to limit the opening movement of the cover.

Pursuant to an important feature of the present invention, the cover 36 may be positioned either in its normal closing position to close the box, or it may be releasably retained in various angular or tilted positions above the top of the box. In this connection, provision is made, within the box or base 12, for a pair of longitudinal strips 42 of which only one is shown. Each strip is bent upon itself to form a longitudinal housing 48 having the opposing walls 44 and 46, the strips being suitably secured to the skirt 28, at the front wall 14, as by the previously mentioned rivets 32. The free end of the housing wall 44 is bent inwardly as at 50 to constitute a detent.

Provision is made within each housing 48 for a toothed or rack element 54. The pair of laterally spaced rack elements 54 are interconnected at their upper ends by a cross piece 56 to constitute a toothed or rack device 52.-

The cross piece is secured, as by the securing elements 58, to a lateral tab portion 60 provided at the upper end of each rack element 54 and constitutes a handle for moving the device 52. Each rack element 54 is provided with a plurality of teeth 62 which are adapted to engage over the detent end 50 of the wall 44. Provision is made, at the bottom of each rack element 54, for a longer tooth 64 which will be engaged by the detent 50 as to prevent the inadvertent complete withdrawal of the device 52 from the housings 48 when the device is moved upwardly.

In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent that the device 52 may be retained in various elevated dispositions thereof, relative to the box 12, by engaging predetermined teeth 62 thereof with the detent 50, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The device 52 may be releasably retained in adjusted elevated disposition thereof either above or below the position thereof illustrated in Fig. 4. When the rack evice 52 is in an elevated position thereof, it will serve as a retaining device or detent for retaining the seat or cover 36 in an angular or tilted disposition thereof raised from the front of the box, as illustrated in Fig. 4. It will be readily apparent that the angular disposition of the seat or cover 36 may be varied either by raising or lowering the rack device 52. In the fully retracted position of the device 52', the cross piece 56 is disposed below the upper edge of the box, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the cover may be completely closed.

In use thereof, the ottoman 10 may be utilized as a storage device by using the hollow interior of the box 12 to store various articles, so that the device 10 may serve as a storage hassock. In addition, in the closed disposition of the cover 36 the cover will constitute a comfortable seat so that the device 10 may serve as a conventional hassock, thus providing an additional seat in a room where used. In addition to the foregoing, the ottoman 10 may be utilized in combination with a conventional chair 11 to form a posture seat or chair, as shown in Fig. 1. In this connection, it will be understood that the side of the box provided with the housings 48 will be placed adjacent to the chair 11 and the cover 36 serving as a leg or foot rest and being adjusted or tilted to various dispositions, as may be required, for the most comfortable use of the chair 11 to form a posture seat. The angularly disposed cover 35 constitutes a tilted leg or foot rest which provides for the support of the chair occupants legs, between the knees and the feet thereof, as shown, without causing any strain or tension beneath the knee. This provides for the chair occupants complete relaxation, his legs sloping or hanging downwardly, and his feet hanging free over the front of the ottoman so as to provide for the same relaxing result achieved by a so-called posture chair.

This application is a division of our application Serial Number 591,228, filed June 13, 1956, now Patent No. 2,838,097, issuedon June 10, 1958.

While'we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An ottoman adapted to be positioned adjacent the front of a chair, and comprising, a storage compartment open at the top thereof, a padded leg support pivotally mounted on, and supported by said compartment to swing on a horizontal axis and adapted to lie either in a horizontal position in which said leg support constitutes a closure for said storage compartment or in a tilted leg position in which said leg support is inclined forwardly and downwardly from the substantially horizontal level of the chair seat in 'saidadjacent position of the ottoman, means disposed within said storage compartment and operable to releasably retain'said leg rest in said tilted leg position, and means disposed in said compartment for preventing said retaining means from coming into contact with the contents of said storage compartment, said retaining means being movable to a selected one of a plurality of adjusted raised dispositions thereof and having an upper part for engagement by said leg support for holding the latter in a corresponding one of a plurality of tilted leg positions thereof, said preventing means comprising an intermediate wall between opposite end walls of said storage compartment, said intermediate wall and one of said opposite end walls defining a housing for said retaining means.

. 2. Anottoman adapted to be positioned adjacent the front of a chair, and comprising, a storage compartment open at the top thereof, a padded leg support pivotally mounted on and supported by said compartment to swing on a horizontal axis and adapted to lie either in a horizontal position in which said leg support constitutes a closure for said storage compartment or in a tilted legposition in which said leg support is inclined forwardly and downwardly from the substantially horizontal level of the chair seat in said adjacent position of the ottoman, means disposed within said storage compartment and operable to releasably retain said leg rest in said tilted leg position,

and means disposed in said compartment for preventing.

said retaining means from coming into contact with the '4 7 contents of said storage compartment, said retaining means being movable to a selected one of a plurality of adjusted raised dispositions thereof and having an upper part for engagement by said leg support for holding the latter in a corresponding one of a plurality of tilted leg positions thereof, said preventing means'comprising an intermediate wall between opposite end walls of said storage compartment, said intermediate wall and one of said opposite end walls. defining a housing for said retaining means, said retaining means having vertically spaced parts interengageable with the upper'edge of said intermediate, wall for retaining saidlastmentio-ned means in a, selected one of a plurality of raised dispositions thereof.

3'. An ottoman adapted to be positioned adjacent the front of a chair, and comprising, a storage compartment open at the top thereof, a padded leg support pivotally mounted on and supported by said compartment to swing on a horizontal axis and adapted to lie either in a horizontal position in which saidleg support constitutes a closure for said storage compartment or in a tilted leg position in which said leg support is inclined forwardly and downwardly from the substantially horizontal level of the chair seat in said adjacentposition of the ottoman, means disposed within said storage compartment and operable to releasably retain said leg rest in said tilted leg position, and means disposed, in said compartment for preventing said retaining means from coming into contact with the 0011-. tents of said storage compartment, said retaining means being movable to a selected one of a plurality of adjusted raised dispositions thereof and having an upper part for engagement by said leg support for holding the latter in a corresponding one of a plurality of tilted leg positions thereof, said preventing means comprising an intermediate wall between opposite end walls of said storage compartment, said intermediate wall and one of said opposite end walls defining a housing for said retaining means, said retaining means comprising a rack having vertically spaced teeth which are engageable with the upper edge of said intermediate wall for retaining said rack in a selected one of a plurality of raised dispositions thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,380,946. Carter June 7, 1921 1,468,460 Di Carlo Sept. 18, 1923 2,531,217 Johnson Nov. 21, 1950 2,566,498 Revercomb .a Sept. 4, 1951 2,869,620 Gleitsman Jan. 20, 1959 

